A life-size bronze sculpture of dueling film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert will soon be unveiled at the One Two Pru office complex near Millennium Park and The Magnificent Mile.
Wanxiang America Real Estate Group, the majority owner of the two towers at Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street, said Thursday that the statue, called “Siskel & Ebert: Two Thumbs Up,” will be installed in early 2028 on the west end of the development’s public plaza along Lake Street.
“Siskel and Ebert defined the movie experience for years, and their simple yet iconic thumbs up and thumbs down verdicts became part of American pop culture,” said Wanxiang Managing Director Larry Krueger in a prepared statement.
An illustration shows the life-size bronze sculpture of dueling film critics Gene Siskel, left, and Roger Ebert that will soon be unveiled at the One Two Pru office complex near Millennium Park and The Magnificent Mile. (Steve Hannah)
The six-foot-five statue, designed by Preston Jackson, professor emeritus of sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, will feature the pair standing behind their iconic theater seats.
Like the Navy Pier sculpture of Dr. Robert “Bob” Hartley, the fictional Chicago psychologist played on the 1970s television sitcom “The Bob Newhart Show” by comedian Bob Newhart, the Siskel and Ebert tribute will be interactive, and allow visitors to sit beside its subjects for selfies.
Jackson has completed several public works honoring entertainment figures, including Richard Pryor, along with others celebrating notable Chicago residents such as Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ernie Banks and Irv Kupcinet.
Corporate donations and a public fundraising effort led by the nonprofit Chicago Gateway Green will help finance “Siskel & Ebert: Two Thumbs Up.” Funds will also be raised by a live Hollywood memorabilia auction, hosted by Heritage Auctions and running through November 14th.
Chicago-related pieces up for auction include: Chicago director Harold Ramis’ “Ghostbusters II” crew jacket and a signed script of his 1980 film “Caddyshack;” a cast-signed apron from the Emmy-award winning television show “The Bear;” and a “Caddyshack” lobby card signed by Bill Murray.
Chicago film producer Pam Kasper spearheads the effort.
Siskel, film critic for the Chicago Tribune, and Ebert, the Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, began writing about movies in the 1960s. They started working together in 1975 on local public television station WTTW and became famous for their on-air squabbles. Partners for nearly 25 years, they eventually launched several nationally-syndicated shows including “Sneak Previews,” “At the Movies” and “Siskel & Ebert.”
Siskel died in 1999. Ebert continued broadcasting with Chicago columnist Richard Roeper and died in 2013.
The 41-story One Pru, the first skyscraper constructed in Chicago following the Great Depression, was the city’s tallest building when completed in 1955. Two Pru, its 64-story neighbor, was completed in 1990.
Wanxiang began a multimillion-dollar redevelopment of the 2.2-million-square foot property in 2024. Phase one is almost complete and includes a new lobby on Randolph Street and a refurbished 11th floor amenity deck. The company will launch the next phase in 2027.